Vehicle collision indicator



July 2l, 1953 1 .'v. wlLsoN VEHICLE COLLISION INDICATOR INVENToR. Lay/4L. M. W/Lsa/v Filed May 24, 1951 l Patented July 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE VEHICLE*4 ooLLIsroN INDICATOR Loyal vem wilson, Albany, org. Application May 24, 1951, Serial No. 228,047

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for indicating the exact location of vehicle collisions and the participants in the collision.

One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a container made of easily broken material such as thin molded glass or the like, filled with a colored liquid stain or paint and attached to a vehicle at various locations most susceptible to damage in a collision.

A further object is the inclusion of a reflector or a highly polished reflecting surface within each device to provide warning lights on the side of the vehicle whi-ch are especially useful in crossing street and road intersections.

A still further object is the provision of a device of this character which is of simple, eicient and inexpensive construction and durable enough to withstand ordinary vibrations of the vehicle, normal road shock, and the like, but at the same time readily breakable upon impact with another Vehicle or any other obstruction. The colored stain or fluid will, of course, spill from the device when broken and will stain not only the street or roadway at the exact location of the collision but will also stain the other vehicle involved in the collision.

These and other objects will appear as my invention is more fully hereinafter described in the following specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and finally pointed out in the appended claim. l

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a vehicle showing my invention applied to the forward end and to one side thereof.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional plan View takenlapproximately along the line 2-2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 illustrat-Y ing a modified form of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing.

In Figure 2 reference numeral I indicates a fragment of a vehicle body such for instance as one of the fenders, the front end of the hood, or any other portion of the vehicle body to which the device is attached.

The invention comprisesl a base in the form of a disk 2 formed with an outwardly extending peripheral flange 3. The central lportion of the base 2 is upset as shown to form a boss 4 having a central opening 5 formed therein. Both sides of the boss are provided with resilient washers or gaskets 6 and l which surround the opening 5 as shown. Secured to the body portion I of the vehicle by means of a screw and lock washer 8 l and 9, respectively, is an externally threaded shaft I0 formed at one of its ends with a flange Il which is drawn securely against the body portion I by the screw 8 and which forms a seat for the gasket 6. Removably secured to the shaft I0 is, an internally bored and threaded end portion I2 of a hub i3 whose opposite end is formed integral with a cup-shaped or semi-spherical container ill whose rim is provided with an inverted U-shaped gasket i5 adapted to be forced within and against the flange 3 of the base 2 by advancing the threaded portion l2 of the hub I3 on the threads of the shaft i9.

The container I4 and the hub I3 are made of readily breakable transparent materia-l such as glass or the like and the container is filled with a transparent liquid I6 such as colored dye, colored transparent `paint or the like. The surface of the base 2 which is viewed through the container may be highly polished to serve as a reflector light or I may choose to insert a separate mirror or reflecting disk to r'eect light from the lights of an approaching vehicle. With either form of reflector the reiiected light will be mag- `nied through the liquid contained in the container Il.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figure 3, the base 2A and the container I4A may be molded as an integral unit, the center of the base being formed with an inwardly extending molded hub Il having an internally threaded and anged bushing I8 embedded therein to receive a screw I9 by means of which the base and container may be secured to the body of the vehicle as aforesaid. The container IiA may be filled with dye or paint `as aforesaid and plugged or sealed in its process of manufacture.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

`Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

An article of the class described comprising in combination a container of semi-spherical formation in cross section, a base of transparent material molded integrally with the rim of said container, a colored fluid contained within the container, a hub molded integrally with said base and extending into `the container, and a fastening element threaded into said hub for securing the article to a support.

LOYAL VERN WILSON.

References cited in the fue of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,042,689 Wallace June 2, 1936 2,468,829 La `Porta May 3, 1949 2,572,940 Lockhart Oct. 30, 1951 l FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 597,173 Germany Mayv18, 1934 

